ACME Company markets
themselves as the worlds
biggest and finest selection
of professional whistles. They
guarantee that every ACME
whistle is individually tested
and guaranteed. This indicates
that the whistle is a tool for
producing a very high decibel
level. Whistles are used by
referees to officiate sporting
matches. The ACME thunderer
whistle is widely used for
sports such as touch football,
rugby league, basketball,
hockey, ice hockey, soccer and
numerous other games. It is
used mainly because of its
design that allows the user to
create a deep, low-pitch
shrill that can be heard from
hundreds of meters away. Many
types of whistles exist, from
small police whistles and
sports whistles (also called
pea whistles), to much larger
train whistles, which are
steam whistles specifically
designed for use on
locomotives and ships. Police
whistles fell into disuse in
many countries in 1969, when
early hand-held radios were
brought into service. With the
rise of the motor car, the
whistle was no longer usefully
audible in urban areas. The
whistle is still used by some
police forces today, and
engraved ceremonial versions
are sometimes presented to
police officers upon occasions
such as their retirement.
Whistles are often used as
warning devices or as safety
devices serving to attract
attention to the user. Some
cyclists use a whistle as a
substitute for a bell or horn.
Rescue or survival whistles
are often packed in survival
kits and attached to personal
flotation devices to allow a
victim to signal for help. The
whistle is audible at much
greater distances than the
human voice, and is less
likely to cause exhaustion if
used repeatedly. Whistles are
used by referees to officiate
sporting matches. It is said
that the whistle was first
used to stop a sports match by
William Atack in an 1884 game
of rugby in New Zealand.
Before that game referees used
their voices to control play.
Whistles have been used as an
alarm or attention-getting
instrument by all manner of
industries, sports and
revelers. Many of our whistles
come with a small hole at the
end of the whistle so you can
attach your whistle to a key
ring holder or a strap that
goes around the neck.
